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1159 Words
ROMY
“Wh-what?” I began with a stutter. “New father?”
She nodded, lips tight. “Yes. Father. Nikolai Romanov, the alpha of Moonclaw Pack, our new home.”
“New home?” I repeated, voice rising. “That’s what you call this? A new home and you get a new man? Was Dad just–what? A placeholder for you? ”
“Romy—”
“No. Explain to me what our new home has to do with you having a new man.” My words finally came out loud, raw.
A low, deep baritone cut through us. “I think you should speak with your mother in private, Romy.”
Heat slammed into me at the sound of him, the massive asshole my mother picked to start over with. “Don’t say my name like you know me . I don’t know you, and I don’t want to.” I turned back to Mom. “We are not that desperate. We can—”
“We can what, Romy? Keep running for the rest of our lives?” Her laugh was bitter, self-mocking. “Tell me. We aren’t that desperate? Really?” She ran her fingers through her organized hair, and tears filled her eyes. “Two years, Romy. For two years, we’ve been on the road. Aren’t you tired? You’re a child, but you don’t even have a life.”
“You don’t want to say it, right? Fine. I’ll say it for you. Romy, you are tired. You want to live without looking over your shoulder.” Her voice broke on the last word.
My eyes burned. I couldn’t stop the tears. The truth hurts . Running had taken everything, my plans, my future, the small things I used to want. I clenched my fist and looked away, surrendering to it even though everything in me protested.
Mom wiped her face fast, trying to smile. “Sorry, Nikolai. She’s…she’s just tired. We both are.”
“You don’t have to explain anything, Debra,” my soon-to-be stepfather said. His words were calm, almost kind, but his face stayed unreadable and cold.
“Thank you, Nikolai.”
I shut down completely, like a monk in silent prayer. I didn’t speak to anyone, not even Mom. A maid led me to a huge room and told me it was mine. She said to rest up, that tomorrow I’d be introduced to the rest of the Alpha family.
I stayed frozen long after she shut the door. It took me a moment to realize what this really meant. I wasn’t sharing a bed with Mom tonight. I wouldn’t have to wake at three in the morning to check the window for shadows moving outside.
Slowly, I took a step forward, then another, until I sat on the edge of the bed. On the blanket lay an iPhone, the latest model along with an iPad, a MacBook, headphones, and other devices. A small note sat on top: Welcome home, Romy. —Nikolai.
The sight of his name made my stomach twist. I wanted to throw it all away, smash the expensive gadgets against the wall. But what was the point? I was stuck here. Mom had sacrificed herself for this chance at safety, and the guilt pressed heavily in my chest. Maybe it would’ve been easier if it were just her running.
I stared at the pillow until my vision blurred, then slipped into the deepest sleep I’d had in years.
When I opened my eyes, it was morning. A maid knocked gently to remind me it was time for breakfast. I showered, put on the floral dress laid out for me, and swallowed my suppressant pill. No one could know I was a she-alpha, not now not ever. If they found out, we’d be thrown out in an instant.
The suppressant dulled me, stripping away my scent, but it was the only thing that kept me safe. The only thing Mom ever wanted.
My skin prickled as I walked down the stairs. The dining hall came into view, voices echoing faintly from within. My chest tightened. I had never belonged to a pack before, never sat at a crowded table that wasn’t just me, Mom, and Dad. And now… everything was about to change.
Bracing myself, I stepped into the dining hall. The room fell silent instantly. Nikolai sat at the head of the table, fork paused halfway to his mouth. Mom was beside him. To his left sat two people who looked around my age, a boy and a girl. Their features mirrored each other, sharp and striking, both carrying the same resemblance to Nikolai. His relatives. No doubt.
The blonde boy flashed me an easy smile. “Hi, niece. You’re younger than I thought you’d be.” His tone was playful, almost teasing.
I lowered my head and slid into the empty chair beside Mom, doing my best to ignore him.
“Is she mute?” the girl chimed in, her voice dripping with mockery.
“Don’t be rude, Svetlana,” the boy, Sergei, cut back, stabbing at her eggs with his fork.
Her eyes flew wide, like she’d just been falsely accused. “What? All I did was ask if our dear step-niece can’t talk.”
“That’s enough, Lana.” Nikolai’s voice cut through the room like steel. The authority in his tone left no room for argument.
He turned his gaze on me then, attempting what I assumed was a smile. But those cognac eyes gave away nothing, no warmth, no softness. Just control. “This is Svetlana and Sergei,” he said. “My twin younger siblings.”
Again, I stayed quiet, refusing to say a word. Mom picked up the slack, smiling nervously. “My daughter… she’s just a bit of an introvert.”
No, I wasn’t. I was just overwhelmed.
“Her name is Romy,” Mom continued. “You’ll love her once you get to know her.”
Svetlana rolled her eyes but, thankfully, kept her mouth shut, choosing instead to whisper and laugh with her twin.
By the end of the day, I found out I’d be attending the same school as them. Perfect. Just what I needed.
Mom’s wedding came next, rushed so fast it felt unreal. Two days later, I was walking her down the aisle like it was some kind of sick joke. Nikolai stood there waiting, expression unreadable. He didn’t look happy, but he didn’t look angry either, like he was being forced into this marriage, same as her.
The ceremony dragged on, each vow making my skin crawl. I tried to slip away, desperate for air, when a large hand closed around my wrist.
I froze, staring up at the titan with jet-black hair and sharp features, the man now calling himself my stepfather.
His voice dropped low; the room felt colder by degrees. “Where are you running to?”
- Writer
